Electric railway.



No. 652,003. Patented lund l9, |90o.

w. KINGS LAND."

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Applicatiop fllsd. Sept. 8, 1899.) (N o M o d e l rm: MoRms PETERS co,Pamaurnm WASHINGYON, a. 0.:

3 Sheets-Shut l.

Patented June l9, I900. W. KINGSLAND.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application filed Sept. 8, 1899.)

3 Shaets-Sheet 2.

(No mode'l.)

m: nonms Prrzns co. mm'auwo WASHINGTON, 0.,c.

No. 652,003. Patented June 19, IQOCL w. KINGSLAND. ELECTRIC RAILW Y.

(Application flied w. s, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT O ICE.

WILLIAM KINGSLAND, oF LONDON, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters ratent No. 652,003, dated-June 19,1900. Application filed September 8,1399. $erial No. 729,813. on)model.)

To all whom it may conceive Be it known that I, WILLIAM KINGSLAND, asubject of the Queen of Great Britain, resid ing at London, England,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected withElectrical Traction, (for which'I have made application for BritishPatentNo. 4,210, dated February 25, 1899,) of which the following is aspecification.

In the United States Letters Patent N 0. 592,056, dated October 19,1897, granted to me for improvements in and connected with electricaltraction, I have described and illustrated a form of apparatus or switchfor connecting and disconnecting from a main conductor the successivesectional working conductors, which latter are sometimes employed in asystem of electrical traction more generally known as thesurface-contact system. The switch mechanism as described in theaforesaid Letters Patent necessitates the use in conjunction therewithof sectional auxiliary conductors, joining each switch with thepreceding or succeeding switch, respectively. In the invention hereindescribed I am able to dispense with the use of these sectionalauxiliary conductors and to effect the immediate and separate connectionand'disconnection of the main conductor from the sectional workingconductors, and I have made certain improvements in the arrangement andcombination of the switch mechanism, as hereinafter stated.

This invention therefore refers to improve-' ments in and connectedwiththat system of electrical traction wherein the electric cur rent isconveyed from a main conductor to the moving vehicle through the mediumof sectional conductors or sectional rails which latter are successivelyconnected and disconnected from the main conductor by the passingvehicle, which makes electrical contact with the successive sections asit passes along the track, and my invention particularly refers to thecombinations and arrangements of parts by which the connection anddisconnection of the main conductor from the sectional conductors areeffected.

My invention is more particularly set forth and illustrated in theaccompanying draw ings, in which--- I Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View ofthe conrotating-lever appliance for operating the switches, and Fig. 6shows another form. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are respectively a front sectionalelevation, a side sectional elevation,

and a plan showing a form of lockingappa+ ratus for the rotating lever.Fig. lO'is an end sectional elevation of an arrangement of rails formingthe rail-slot.

According to my invention I provide a rotatable cylindricalcommutator-switch 0,

Figs. 1 and 3, of some suitable insulating material, and I cover oneportion of the circumference of the cylinder with a conducting metalplate 0. The rotatable commuta tor-switch G is mounted on a spindle Eand is free to rotate in either direction. It is fur= ther supported ona suitable frame F, Figs.

. 2 and 3, preferably made of insulating mate Pressing against thecylinder at two rial. separate points I provide two contact springs orbrushes A and B, one of these being in electrical connection with themain conduc tor M, Fig. 1, and the other with a sectional conductor orcontact-stud S B. When, there= fore, the switch is in such a positionthat the metal plate 0 thereon is touching both pressure-contacts A andB, the current can pass, by means of the metal plate, from the mainconductor M to that sectional conductor S R which is in connection withthe particular switch inquestion; but if the switch be partially turnedon its axis one or both of the pressure-contacts A B may no longer betouching the metal plate 0, but may rest on the insulating portion ofthe cylinder 0, and therefore the electrical connection between the mainconductor M and the sectional conductor S R will be broken.

Let it be supposed that the metal plate 0 extends half-way around thecylinder 0, (or rather more than half-Way, as in Fig. 1,) so

as to connect the two pressure-contacts A B,

placed at opposite points of a diameter. It is obvious that if theswitch be turned half pressure-contacts will rest on the insulatingportion of the. cylinder, so that in one comaround the pressure-contacts A B will again be electrically connected by the metal platebut if it be turned one-quarter one of the plete revolution of theswitch there will be two positions in which the contacts A and B will beelectrically connected and two in which theywill be disconnected.however, essential that there should be two on and two off positions inone complete revolution of the switch, as it is obvious that thecontact-brushes and metal partof the revolving switch may be so arrangedthat there might be one, two, three, or severalon and the same number ofoif'posi-- tions; but itisessential that the successive positions of theswitch should be alternately on .and off. By'such an arrangement ofswitch I amenabled to obtain improved contact and insulation and thiswithout causing the current to pass through a number of loose. parts, aspreviously known. p

The main and sectional conductors, incombination with'the switch, asherein described, may be used for one direction .of current only, therails, as in most cases, serving to convey the return-current, or adouble set.

maybe used for lead andreturn. x p I .In order' that the rotatablecommutatorswitch may "beoperat ed by a vehicle, ,1 provide thevariousparts and ,contriv'ances, as

will now be'described.

' 1 ran R.

S, Fig. 2, is a slot in or contiguous toone of the rails R upon whichthe vehicles run, and this slot may occupy the place of theordinarygroove'iu the rail, as in Fig. 2, or the slot S may 'beformed' as,illustrated at wherein an ordinary tram-rail. R is em ployed, andtheslot S is formed by. arranging a second rail'R on one side of thetram:

into the slot isa-rotating-lever appliance'L,

.Fig's. 5 and 6.

having four :ormore arms, as illustratedin enables ,it to. bemounted ordismounted,

whereby the tapp'et-lever may be removed" for inspection or repair quiteindependently ofthe other parts. The flange of the rail is partly cutaway to accommodate the lever L.

D is a metal box, preferably of cast-iron, divided into two compartmentsbythe partition ,P and having aremovable coverG. One compartment ofthebox contains the rotatable commutator switch and is made water-tightbythe cover F. The connecting wires or cables for the contactsA and Balso "pass into this compartment of .the box through water-tightglandsas, .for example, is shown at Fig. 3, whereW is one of. the

wires electrically connected-to the contact A andpassing out of the boxD by-the packed gland D. The other compartment of the.

box 1), which is not water-ti-ght,-and consequently should be suitablydrained,- has its It ismot,

r Theslot ordinarily extends to; the depth of the rail. .Projecting upfrom below The, spindle E','which; carriesthese arms, hasa coupling atL, Fig. 2,whi ch upper side, and end .parts cutaway sufficiently toallow of the passage of the rails R It. This compartment of the boxserves to inclose the tappet-lever L,whichextends into the slotS'between the rails R R, and the spindle E, which carries the leverarms, passes through a gland H into the compartfment containing theswitchpand is there coupled, as; shown at Figs. 2 and 3, direct to theswitch-spindle E.

Inorder that the rotatingleveri-may be operated by a vehicle, 'Icausethe said vehicle to carry two striking-bars which project downintothe-slot S, Fig. 2, and engage with whichever lever-arm L happens tobe in a vertical position. One of these strikingbars is arranged attheforward end of the vehicle and the other at the rear end. The

action will then be as follows: The switch being in its normal oroffposition,the action of the forward striking-bar on the vehicle will .beto place it at its on position, while the rear striking-bar actingonthenext arm of the lever will place the switch at its next or 01fposition. Ifthecar is reversed, the rear strikingbar becomes the forwardone and will have the effect of placing the switch at the on posit-ion.The striking-bars may be of any convenient size or shape, butpreferably'somewhat flat and with rounded ends, asshown at T Fi s. 5 and6.2

7 b u n n In. some cases, and especially when it 1s desired thatthe-radial movement of the leverarms should-b'e'less'or even'greaterthan the movement "of the cylinder "0, I couple the switch-shaft E tothe lever-shaft E by means of gearinga's, forex'ample', is shown'at'Fig. 4--instea(1 .of directly connecting the two shafts E and'Atogether, as shown atFigs. 2 and-3.

' At Fig. 4 a spur-wheel Eat, mm the shaft E, as is also shown at- Figs.5 and 6, and this spur-wheel E gears with-a spur-wheel E onthe shaft E,so that any m'otion'of the one shaftwill be communicated t theother in'a lyflesiredratio."- I

When the rotating-lever'has 'on'l y four arms, it is advisable tofurnish them with enlarged ends,'as"sh'own in Fig. 5, as by this meansthe arms may be placed in a correct vertical and horizontal positionwhichever way the vehicle may be going. I To protect the levers L fromaccidentalor wanton displacement, I' provide the locking arrangementshown in Figs. 7, 8, and.9,where N and N are two lever-catches hinged atN to the side of the boxD and having counterweights K K on arms atright. angles to the lever-catches N N, so as to keep the latternormally in a forward position. 'At the top endsof the, two leversN Nare two curved striking-plates V V and immediately-below them twocatches N and N These. two catches N N engage with the upper surface ofthe two horizontal arms of the rotating Is- IIO ver L, and thus normallyprevent it from be:

ing turned. The two levers N and N work independently of each other. Thestrikingbar T, a portion of which is shown at Figs. 7 and 9, is providedwith a projection T, Fig. 9, and this projection operates on thestriking-plates V and V and causes them to be pushed back, thusreleasing the leverLfrom the catches N and N As soon as the striking-barT- has passed the levers N N will fall forward into their normal lockingposition, as shown, under the action of the counterweights K K. The samearrangement may be applied to any two of the arms of a rotating leverhaving more than four arms.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In the surface-contact system of electric traction wherein theelectric current is trans mitted from a main conductor to the movingvehicle through sectional conductors, successively connected anddisconnected to and from the mains by the passing vehicle,which is inelectrical contact with the sections as it passes along the track: thecombination with a box formed with two compartments, the firstcompartment being made'water-tight, to contain an axially-revolubleswitch-cylinder C with cond ucting and insulating surfaces on itscircular periphery, and a frame carrying brushes A B in contact with thecylinder, one brush being in connection with the electrical main and theother with the sectional conductor, a revoluble shaft carrying thecylinder and passing through the partition to the second compartment,and a four or more armed tappet-lever fixed on the cylinder-shaft inthe' second compartment, the upper part of the walls of the latter beingcut away above the tappet-lever: of track-rails having an open channelbetween same passing over the cutaway part of the second compartment,the arms of the tappet-lever extending into such channel between therails, and a front and rear tappet piece on each motor vehicle, whichtappet-pieces act consecutively upon the arms of the tappet-lever togive step-bystep rotative motions to the shaft and thereby to thecylindrical switch, substantially as set forth.

2. In electrical traction, the combination with a main electricalconductor, and sectional Working conductors from Which the motor-Vehicledirectly collects the current, a switch mechanism located between themain and each of the sectional conductors, such switch mechanismconsisting of a shaft mounted in bearings, a four or more armedtappet-lever carried on the shaft, a cylinder having conducting andinsulating surfaces also mounted onthe same shaft, two brushes incontact with the cylinder, one in electrical connection with the mainconductor and the other in connection with one of the sectionalconductors; of a locking device, consisting of two lever-catches hingedto a fixed part, counterbalancing-arms to cause the levercatches tonormally engage with the arms of the tappet-lever, a curvedstriking-plate on the upper end of each lever-catch, tappetpieces oneach motor-vehicle to force back the catch-levers, to free thetappet-lever and partially rotate same, the latter lever being againlocked automatically by the falling forward of the catch-leverssubstantially .as set forth. I

3. In electrical traction, the combination with a main electricalconductor and sectional working conductors from which the motor-vehicledirectly collects the current;'of aswitch mechanism located between themain and each sectional conductor, such switch mechanism consisting of arotary shaft car ried-in bearings, a cylinder'having conduct ing andinsulating surfaces mounted on the shaft, two brushes in contact withthe cylinder,one in electrical connection with the main conductor, andthe other in connection with one of the sectional conductors, aninclosing box having a water-tight compartment therein to receive therotary shaftand parts con= nected therewith, an extension of the rotaryshaft into a second compartment of the box,

a four or more armed tappet-lever carried on the shaft in the secondcompartment, rails above the box arranged to form a slotted conduit intowhich the armed tappet-lever projects, two lever-catches hinged to thebox and counterbalanced arms on the catches to cause same to normallyand automatically engage and lock the armed tappet-lever, and tappet=pieces on each motor-vehicle to force back the catch-levers and releaseand partially rotate the armed tappet-lever, the latter lever be ingagain locked automatically by the falling forward of the catch-leversafter the passing of the vehicle-tappets as set forth.

WILLIAM KINGSLAND.

